ExpertsUpdate.com

So you may be wondering, from the glance at the title, that it is impossible for Windows Media Player to play MKV and M4A. It’s true… alone, Windows Media Player cannot play MKV and M4A. MKV, or the Matroska Multimedia Container, and the M4A, or the MPEG-4 Part 14 audio file that can be opened primarily by Quicktime or iTunes, cannot be played on Windows Media Player because the codec isn’t included with Windows. However, anything is possible in the world of today. That means yes, MKV and M4A, as well as many other formats, can be played on Windows Media Player. In this method, Windows Media Player is not modified in any way (because if it were modified, it would be a breach of the license agreement that users agree to.) It just simply gets Windows Media Player to “call its friends for help.”

The Community-Combined Codec Pack, abbreviated CCCP, combines the tools required to play many audio and video formats. The software has nothing of a nag and it doesn’t harm anyone’s machine. With its components, such as FFMPEG and .SRT-reading software for subtitles, many media files that don’t work for Windows Media Player already may work (yes, FLV’s too!) Installations of CCCP come pre-packed with the optional Media Player Classic HomeCinema, which is a stripped down neutral version of Windows Media Player (perfect for those who would rather use a small, stable audio/video player!) It’s hassle-free to install and no other software can top what CCCP can do.

There are many things CCCP is good for! Let’s see, you want to watch a video podcast, but you do not want to open up iTunes or Quicktime Player. That’s understandable. When CCCP is installed, a user can use Windows Media Player to open up the .M4V, .MP4, or .MOV file. Even if Windows Media Player states that it doesn’t work, chances are, it will work if the data within the file is valid. Let’s say you downloaded a video, but it is in an alien format, like a .MKV or .MTS (.MTS is standard for HD Camcorders.) Yes, CCCP can do that and Windows Media Player will run it! Some software, such as Windows DVD Maker, will utilize CCCP’s services for the input-to-output processes (so now, .MKVs can become video DVD’s if the software will read it!)

There are certain downfalls to installing CCCP that users should understand and will notice for the lifetime that the user has the pack. For example, games that rely on MP3, WAV, and movie files that CCCP covers may have a short delay (depending on the machine) because the CCCP processes for FFMPEG may need to start up. Notable games include Grand Theft Auto (when using custom tracks on PC) and Audition Online (due to OGG format extraction). The good thing, however, is that some software (like Quicktime and iTunes) won’t have this issue. It’s too bad that you can’t play all the files CCCP can do for Windows Media Player on Quicktime or iTunes, but otherwise, CCCP is a great utility for your media player needs!

Copyright Information:
Image Content: 電車男 (Densha Otoko) © 2005 株式会社フジテレビジョン (Fuji Television)
Image Content: 生徒会の一存 (Seitokai no Ichizon) © 2009 株式会社スタジオディーン (Studio Deen Co., Ltd.)